Daily Business Report-Sept. 13, 2017
Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet, speaks to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during a training exercise on April 14, 2017. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Leon Wong)
U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet to Receive
New Commander
Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, first woman
to command a carrier strike group, to retire
Vice Adm. Nora Tyson will be relieved by Vice Adm. John D. Alexander as commander of the U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet during a change of command ceremony Friday at Naval Air Station North Island, where Tyson will retire after 38 years of service.
Alexander’s most recent assignment was as director of Maritime Operations at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, where he reported in August 2016.
Tyson became the first woman to command a carrier strike group in July 2010 when she took control of the George H.W. Bush Strike Group, leading 13 ships, 80 combatant aircraft, and about 9,000 sailors, as the commander of Carrier Strike Group Two. She led the strike group on its maiden deployment where they conducted combat operations in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.
When she assumed command of U.S. 3rd Fleet in July 2015, Tyson became the first woman to command an operational numbered fleet. Under her command, 3rd Fleet’s role expanded in the Pacific under the U.S. Pacific Fleet initiative, an operational concept where 3rd Fleet maintains command and control of units throughout their deployment rather than transferring operational control to U.S. 7th Fleet once units cross the International Date Line. This provides the Pacific Fleet commander with additional flexibility and options by applying the full range of capabilities of both numbered fleets based on specific missions rather than geographic areas. .
Her other commands include commander of Task Force 73/Logistics Group Western Pacific based in Singapore, and as commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, where she led the Navy’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina and deployed twice to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Vice Admiral Alexander’s command tours include commander; Battle Force 7th Fleet, forwarded deployed aboard USS Ronald Reagan in Yokosuka, Japan; assistant commander for Career Management at Navy Personnel Command; commanding officer of Electronic Attack Squadron 135; USS Juneau, forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan; and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
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SCS Engineers Selected for Work
on 2 East Village Residential Projects
The Richman Group of California selected SCS Engineers to provide environmental consulting and prepare soil management plans used in the construction of two mixed-use residential projects in San Diego’s East Village.
K1 is a mixed-use apartment tower that will provide 222 residential units and 7,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, including 317 parking spots. The site will also include a low-rise building, The Sliver, which includes two penthouses, a restaurant, and urban garden. KI is expected to be completed in early 2020.
F11, a seven-story mixed-use property, provides 99 luxury apartments and retail space and is slated to open in 2018.
SCS Engineers worked with the Richman Group of California and general contractors — Cannon Construction and Level 10 Construction — to ensure that the projects met schedule and budget requirements.
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RAF Pacifica Group Begins Construction
on 3 Carlsbad Developments
RAF Pacifica Group has broken ground on three new developments in Carlsbad totaling more than $75 million. The developments include the first ground-up creative office project as well as one of the firm’s signature Creative Industrial properties, and a creative build-to-suit for local fashion brand San Diego Hat Company.
RAF Pacifica Group’s “lift” project is planned as a two-story creative office property comprised of 44,797 square feet of office space and 8,496 square feet of restaurant space. It is anticipated to be completed in 2018.
The firm’s create project will encompass approximately 146,108 square feet. The estimated development cost is $34 million. RAF is also developing an 83,000-square-foot Class A distribution build-to-suit for the San Diego Hat Company. Estimated development costs are $15.6 million. The build-to-suit project is anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of 2018.
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Cal State San Marcos President
Honored as ‘Social Workers Pioneer’
Cal State San Marcos President Karen Haynes has been honored as a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Pioneer. The Pioneer Program was created to honor members of the social work profession who have contributed to the evolution and enrichment of the profession. It recognizes individuals whose unique dedication, commitment and determination have improved social and human conditions.
Haynes will be honored at the NASW Social Work Pioneers 13th annual Program & Luncheon on Oct. 28 in Washington, D.C. The NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world with 132,000 members.
Haynes is CSUSM’s longest-serving president and the senior president in the 23-campus California State University system, the first woman to hold that position. She has served for over 30 years as an academic administrator and is in her 23rd year as a university president, including 8½ years as president of the University of Houston-Victoria.
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City College Robotics Team Performs
Well in RoboSub Competition
Competing on a shoestring budget against universities from around the world, San Diego City College’s robotics team had one of its best showings in years at the recent 20th annual International RoboSub Competition.
The competition took place July 26-30 at the SPAWAR System Center Pacific’s Transducer Evaluation Center, a one-of-a-kind, 6-million-gallon, echo-free pool used for research and underwater sound projects. Students are required to design and build a submarine, which must pass through a validation gate and maneuver through an obstacle course while completing a series of visual- and acoustic-based tasks. Teams are judged not only on how their submersibles perform, but also on a white paper and video they must produce, an oral presentation, and a website.
This was City College Robotics’ 10th year at the competition, and its sub, dubbed the Scarborough, qualified for the semifinals much earlier than it had in the past. Cornell University took the top prize, followed by Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. This marked the sixth time since 2009 that Cornell won the competition.
“We are hoping to advance our sub’s technology during the year significantly and perform much higher next year,” said Shane Jost of the San Diego City College Robotics, who noted that team’s budget of approximately $2,000 was a fraction of the amount spent by some other teams.
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UC San Diego Ranked a Top 10 University
The U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges guidebook ranks the University of California San Diego the nation’s 9th best public university, up one spot, compared to last year. For more than a decade, the publication has included UC San Diego in its list of the nation’s top 10 public universities. The rankings are based on academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduate rate performance and alumni giving. In addition, U.S. News names the campus’s Jacobs School of Engineering the 12th best public engineering school among engineering colleges that offer doctorates.
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San Diego State University’s Ranking Rises
San Diego State University continues to rise in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. The publication ranked SDSU No. 68 among public universities and No. 140 overall among national universities in its America’s Best Colleges list released Tuesday. SDSU has been gaining ground in the U.S. News & World Report rankings over the last five years, moving up 25 spots from No. 165 among national universities since 2012. The university also gained 22 spots among public universities (No. 90 in 2012).
SDSU’s International Business program ranks No. 12, up from No. 14 last year.
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County Library Expands Online High School
In a significant expansion of the County Library’s online high school program, the county Board of Supervisors approved a contract Tuesday that would offer 160 scholarships to residents interested in finishing high school. The scholarships would become available starting Sept. 15.
The Career Online High School scholarships allow any resident of San Diego County who is 19 years and older a chance to get their high school diploma. The program doesn’t award general education diplomas, or GEDs, but an actual high school diploma which means graduates are more likely to qualify for higher education and job opportunities. Students can also work toward an entry-level career certificate in any of eight different fields.
“The San Diego County Library is hugely committed to promoting lifelong learning, from our Kindergarten Gear-Up Program to online high school and beyond,” said County Library Director Migell Acosta. “We want to cover the full spectrum on top of promoting reading and literacy skills, and offering access to the Internet.”
Online high school allows students to take classes at times that are convenient to them. Acosta says if they don’t have the necessary resources at home, students will get a “front of the line” pass for technology at the County library. The library works with Cengage Learning to offer the online high school.
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Mth Degree and Experienes for Mankind
Merge Marketing and Digital Services
Mth Degree and Experiences For Mankind (EFM) announced that they are combining their marketing and digital services. The joined agency will fall under the EFM brand. Mth Degree, and its founder and president Steven Morris, will continue to deliver brand strategy services under the Mth Degree brand.
Mth Degree is a brand strategy agency, founded in 1994, with extensive experience in consumer products, consumer electronics, education, government and non-profit brands. Its expertise in building “better brands, better business and better life” has been at the foundation of its work for over two decades.
Experiences For Mankind (EFM) is a San Diego-based agency that provides brands the strategic and creative expertise to propel people and ideas into action. EFM has worked extensively across the consumer electronics, hospitality, retail, and specialty healthcare categories.
“We are thrilled to combine the marketing and digital services of Mth Degree with the team at EFM. Our longstanding alignment in purpose-driven marketing, digital, and retail services will position us to better serve the evolving needs of our clients and their customers,” Morris said.
“Our mutual belief in creating meaningful experiences for the customers of our clients is paramount to our focus and success. With Mth Degree, we have a shared commitment to serve businesses that offer valuable products and services to the world,” said Javier Iniguez, president and CCO of EFM.
